


A day that was never supposed to happen

by smaragdbird



Series: Terror Rare Pair Week [16]
Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, No Homophobia AU, Not sure how much sense this makes if you haven't read Fitzjames' biography, Victorian Values, endangered engagement, parental veto, way too literal interpretation of the prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21470038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: Written for the Terror Rare Pair WeekThis day was never supposed to happen. His heritage, his secret was never supposed to be revealed to the public, yet here they are
Relationships: Commander James Fitzjames/George Barrow
Series: Terror Rare Pair Week [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542748
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: The Terror Rarepair Week 2019





	A day that was never supposed to happen

**Author's Note:**

> So the William and Elizabeth mentioned here were Fitzjames' adopted brother and said brother's wife
> 
> George Barrow was Sir John Barrow's son, heir and Fitzjames had helped him out with something in Singapore but no one knows what it was (but it was scandalous and indebted Barrow to Fitzjames, hence Fitzjames being appointed to the Franklin Expedition)

William had given orders to the staff to admit no one to the house and Elizabeth had arranged for the children to be taken to the country estate. Lizzie had protested the most – for a girl her age London was a treasure trove of adventure – but that cased when she had seen how miserable everyone was.

This day was never supposed to come. He was supposed to marry in a few months, then maybe start a new command with the rumours about Russia and unrest in China.

Now all of that lay in ruins because of sheer jealousy and nothing else.

Perhaps a braver man than him would’ve shown his face in public, would’ve shown that he thought his achievements spoke for themselves even if they had been built on lies and deception. A week ago, he had been among the heroes of the Northwest Passage, a golden future before him. 

It hurt to even think of it. What could have been. What should have been. 

Elizabeth was furious about the exposure, calling Charles Dickens by names that would make veteran sailors blush. She had urged him to go out and show society what he thought of their sudden rejection and James had no doubt that she would rip to shreds anyone who would disparage him in her earshot.

William had sat with him after the news had broken, letting his company give him comfort. He knew that they were no words that would make this better, no way around the inevitable dismissal from the Royal Navy the public disgrace and sooner or later the end of his engagement.

Someone knocked on the door but since it could only be William or Elizabeth, James didn’t raise his voice to ask them in. 

The door opened but the man who walked in was not who he had been expecting. “Hello James.”

“What are you doing here?” James asked, too surprised to be polite. He hadn’t expected George to show up in person. He knew what Sir John Barrow thought of his situation after having been refused at the door, and so he would’ve expected a mere letter full of apologies and regrets but with the clear message that their engagement was off. And even if George were to show up in person, James wouldn’t have expected to see him so...giddy and eyes sparkling.

“I’m here to help you pack.”

“What for?”

“The country side? Elizabeth thinks the air will do you good and we all know there is no arguing with her once she has made up her mind.” He opened the wardrobe and started to throw articles of clothing into a trunk James had opened but not touched since.

“George…”

“She nearly took my head off when I came to your house”, George said in that same giddy tone as before. As if nothing was wrong. As if this really was just a surprise trip to the country side. “She’s a formidable woman. I’d bet my last penny she’s descended from one of those Spartan Queens. If they’d give women the right to vote, Elizabeth would be prime minister one day.”

“You didn’t have to come here to make sure I leave the city. I have nowhere else to go but home.”

George threw the shirts he had been holding into the trunk, then turned to James with a downright furious look on his face. “Did you honestly think that whatever some jealous maggot pie has dredged up from your past would be enough break my promise to you?”

“Your father – “

“Yes, my father…uhm…if you were only marrying me for my title and my inheritance…you might want to marry my brother John instead.” In an instant the light tone was back as if this was some sort of play, oscillating between tragedy and comedy.

“George, what’s going on?” He was too tired, too exhausted to keep guessing.

“My father wanted me to break my engagement to you”, George explained, his tone much more serious than before. “So I broke with him instead.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. My father refuses to see that your achievements and character far outweigh the bad circumstance of your birth which you had no control over.” He sat down next to James. “That is if you still want to marry me.”

“Was there anything to make you believe I don’t want to?” George’s steadfast reassurance enabled him to match his light tone.

“You were in the Arctic for two years, maybe you’ve decided that Crozier is your one true love after all. Or Stanley.”

A laugh escaped James’ lips before he even realised it.

“You told me you thought he was handsome”, George reminded him.

“He is also married. Happily so”, James replied. 

“Well, in that case, William informed me that the church in Abbots Langely has some lovely stained windows.”

“The windows are very nice”, James said, who remembered how the sun had shone through them when William and Elizabeth had married, painting a colourful image on Elizabeth’s wedding dress.

“Pretty windows and a willing groom, that’s all I need”, George said. “And if my father tries to object while the banns are called, we can still elope to Scotland.”

“My fa-William’s father”, James corrected himself, “is originally from Scotland. We have some relatives up there.”

“And I’m sure some of their churches had lovely glass stained windows as well”, George said with sparkling eyes.

For the first time in a week, James smiled. “For sure.”


End file.
